were, in fact, three. the one who got indicted today, the one whose administration is under intensive investigation, and the prison-freeing, massage-getting aiding and abetting ben fitiell of the northern mariana islands. 2009 was a bang-up year for governors, yes? good wednesday morning. polar plunge. snow, cold, arctic air and bone chilling wind from virginia to new england. winter's fury is in full display. power problems. i'm talking about politicians and powerful positions put in precarious situation that's need some explaining. school shooting, another campus, another gunman this time in purdue, university. one student dead. the shooter in custody. plus, a bold prediction from bill gates. then buffet's billion dollar basketball challenge and toronto mayor rob ford is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. >> thanks for joining us, everyone. we start with the powerful storm

that is no joke. in chicago, lake michigan look mores like the north pole. last year just 38%st great lakes were frozen over but this year researchers predict the ice coverage to double. meanwhile, thousands of flights are canceled across the country and now it is a fight just to stay warm. as brutally cold temperatures settle in. bill karins is here. bill this storm has really lived up to all the hype, unfortunately. >> now is the worst part. now is the cleanup part. you have to go on with your lives and people have to go to school and work. you have to clean up. you have to shovel the snow. it's light and fluffy. it will blow quickly away. new york, 11 inches in central park, philadelphia, 14 inches. still snowing in providence and boston. you'll end up somewhere around 10 to 12 inches by the time it's said and done, especially if you're from boston southward. here it is off the virginia beach coastline. it is heading to sea. it will drag the snow with it.

but we're not done yet. still very windy up here especially in new england. and that's where we're seeing worst of the conditions. the snow continuing to fall from providence to boston and cape cod. out on long island, it's not pretty either. the roads are horrible out there. winds gusting to 40 miles per hour. so near blizzard conditions out there in eastern mass. these wind chills, this is what gets your attention. we have 22 states with negative wind chills. minus five in d.c. we're at minus 10 in boston right now. look at our friends in northern new england. negative 27. >> oh, man. that negative eight looks pretty good compared to negative 27. thank you, bill. washington, d.c., just one city bearing the brunt of the storm. take a look at this. you can barely make out the washington monument. can't even see where it is. nbc's tracie potts is there. these days, you know, being live on location looks painful, unfortunately. >> it's not too bad. we haven't been out here too long. talk to me in a few hours.

the federal government today is open. they decided to do a two hour delay and give people unscheduled leave. if you have leave, you can stay home. you can bet a lot of people will take that option. the roads in some areas, especially some of the suburbs and outlying areas, neighborhood that's have yet to be plowed, they are still treacherous. people spinning out and in some cases just not able to quite get out of their neighborhood to get on to the main roads. also, up and down the east coast you heard some of those snowfall totals that bill was telling us about. it's tying up traffic. this morning's commute hopefully light if people heed the warnings to stay home. betty? >> i would assume many people will. hopefully they will. it's much warmer inside than it is where you are now. tens of thousands of loans, shopping sprees and a joy ride in a ferrari. it is detailed in a 14 count

federal corruption indictment against a former virginia governor and his wife. bob mcdonald was viewed as a rising star in the gop, even mentioned as a potential candidate for vice president or president. but now he is accused of illegally accepting gifts from the head of a dietary supplements maker names johnny williams. the governor whose term ended weeks ago apologized for what he called poor judgment and strongly denied any wrongdoing. he insists the gifts have all been repaid with interest and that they were not ment as a way to curry favor. >> i did nothing illegal for mr. williams, in exchange for what i believe was personal friendship and generosity. >> all right. prosecutors say mcdonald's wife asked williams to take her on a shopping spree in new york three years ago. he spent almost $20,000 buying her designer dresses. the government says she also asked him for a $50,000 loan.

and to pay $15,000 to cover catering at her daughter's wedding. the charges say the former governor persuaded williams to make a $50,000 loan to a business he co-owned. prosecutors say that's on top of golf outings, vacations and personally inscribed rolex watch. virginia lawmakers, well, they are speaking out. >> i'm certainly believing in the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. it is a sad day for the commonwealth. >> this is not a corrupt man. this is a good man. i'm not a lawyer. i just really have my doubts as to the strength of the federal case. >> the mcdonalds are expected to enter a not guilty plea in court later this week. if convicted, they could face prison time and hefty fines. it was supposed to be a day of celebration for governor chris christie. new polling suggests the scandals are beginning to take their toll. americans are equally divided on

whether the republican would make a good president. and he's now trailing hillary clinton by eight points in that 2016 matchup. but as jay gray reports, christie is remaining optimistic. >> so help me god. >> reporter: new jersey governor chris christie gets his second term surrounded by controversy. state lawmakers have now created what they call a super committee, subpoena power to investigate allegations of abuses of power by christie's administration. accusation that's include bridgegate, a plan algdzly carried out by senior members of the governor's staff that closed down lanes on the george washington bridge creating a massive traffic jam for days to punish a political rival. and new accusations from hoboken mayor dawn zimmer that lieutenant governor and another key member of governor christie's inner circle threatened to withhold sandy relief funds unless she supported a major commercial develop. project. something the lieutenant

governor has adamantly denied. governor christie didn't talk about the growing controversy during his inaugural address but did call for an end to political end fighting and bullying, the very issue at the core of allegations against his administration. >> i will not let up. i will insist we work together. we can put the future of our state ahead of the partisans who would rather demonize than compromise. >> as christie begins his second term working to make sure he didn't compromise his office or a potential presidential campaign. jay gray, nbc news, trenton, new jersey. and christie is now taking shots from at least one fellow republican. former virginia candidate says christie should resign as head of the republican governor's association. police are searching for a motive in a deadly shooting at purdue university. 23-year-old cody cousins is held

on a preliminary murder charge. he walked into a classroom and fatally shot a fellow engineering student, andrew bold. bold was also a teaching assistant. he is being remembered as having a brilliant mind. police believe the shooting was an intentional act because no one else was hurt. the piercing sound of gun shots forced the campus into a temporary lockdown. ♪ late tuesday a vij you will by candlelight was held. classes are canceled today. going to shift gears now and get sports action. good morning on this hump day. >> it is a wednesday, betty. let's talk about the players. well, they want a-rod out here, betty. alex rodriguez is suing the league and his own players union over his 162-game suspension. during conference call, players and board members, players angrily calling for rodriguez to get out, kick him out of the union. there's a problem.

it's not allowed in the rules. let's get to the court for you. kansas state at unranked texas. tied score, two seconds left. texas shoots, it is good. texas upsets 67-64. a great record. they were sloppy but they got it done. number three ranked michigan state comes from behind to beat unranked indiana 71-66. get out those suits. billionaire investor warren buffett adding madness to march madness. he wants to give you, my friend, $1 billion. >> i'll take it. >> here are the details. pick all 67 winners in this ncaa men's basketball tournament, be one of the ten million households that can enter and if you win, 40 payments of $25 million or lump sum, $500 million. the odds, 1-9.2 quen tillon. look at all those numbers.

yesterday we told you about this angry dutch speed skater who used middle finger. there he is. he showed frustration to losing to a russian competitor. now he lost his bronze medal and he and his team were disqualified from the european championships. michelle boeb tweeted about her meeting with the miami heat. i included dwyane wade promoting better eating. the first lady dumped on lebron james. >> can you take it from me, even right foods can help make you a barrage leet. >> that is right. >> video bomb. >> a new first ever stunt by ryan winslow. he pulls off the world's first forward bike flip on a bmx bike. what is higher than the mile high stadium in denver? of course, the broncos parachute team, there is such a thing. here is the head cam video. six members have skydived

thousands of times, hence, they stick the landings. >> thank goodness. richard, thank you. it is the size of an acorn and fits into the palm of your hand and worth tens of millions of dollars. what it is? we're going to tell you. plus, 11 mini cars were tested. just one emerged with an acceptable rating. those details next. [ male announcer ] this is the story of the little room

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now for your first look at business, we turn to cnbc. >> good morning. target is dropping health care coverage for part time workers. the retailer looks to cut insurance costs. 10% of target's 361,000 employees will be affected. the company will give them cash to buy a new plan from healthcare.gov. mini cars don't fare well in the new crash test. the chevy spark get an acceptable rating from the insurance inconstitute for highway safety. the tests mimic what happens when a car hits another car. utility pole, or a tree. >> only one car.

got acceptable much that's scarey. bill gates makes a stunning prediction, the elimination of poor countries by the year 2035. this is what he told jimmy fallon. >> most of the poor countries now move to middle income. we still have about 50 that are poor. we need to work on that. but i predict in 20 years that they'll be very few, less than ten because of the rapid progress. >> on nbc news.com, an incredibly rare and valuable 29.6 carat blue diamond is found in a south african mine. it can fit in the palm of a hand is said to be worth tens of millions of dollars. some other top stories, a grand jury in north carolina decided not to indict a charlotte police officer for killing an unarmed former college football player. the young man had car trouble. he knocked on a residence's door for help but then confronted by a police officer who shot him ten times on a dimly lit street.

prosecutors plan to resubmit their case after warning that not all grand jurors were present for the vote. a fraternity is suspended after throwing a highly offensive mlk party. photos, like these, show students dressed in basketball jerseys and drinking from water melon cups. well, the 44th annual march for life is set to go on as planned even with these polar temperatures. the pro-life event is expecting thousands of people to march on the supreme court demonstrating against the 1973 decision in roe v. wade. a new poll shows 74% of americans would favor a ban on abortion after 20 weeks. 84% do not see abortion as an all or nothing proposition saying both the mother and unborn child can be protected. donald trump, he is back in the news again. he says chris christie is just one thing away from complete

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but with less energy, moodiness, and a low sex drive, i had to do something. i saw my doctor. a blood test showed it was low testosterone, not age. we talked about axiron the only underarm low t treatment that can restore t levels to normal in about two weeks in most men. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18 or men with prostate or breast cancer. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these symptoms to your doctor. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer, worsening prostate symptoms, decreased sperm count, ankle, feet or body swelling, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing while sleeping and blood clots in the legs. common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. ask your doctor about axiron.

i takbecause you can't beatrning for zero heartburn. woo hoo! [ male announcer ] prilosec otc is the number one doctor recommended frequent heartburn medicine for 8 straight years. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. if you have a business idea, we have a personalized legal solution that's right for you. with easy step-by-step guidance, we're here to help you turn your dream into a reality. start your business today with legalzoom. now here's your first look at this morning's dish of scrambled politics. republican senator david vitter will be running for louisiana governor next year. current governor is term limited. vitter, you will remember, survived a sex scandal back in 2007 when his phone number appeared in the records of a so-called d.c. madam. even the donald smells blood in a new jersey water. the billionaire mogul says

christie is one e-mail away from disaster. and also on the donald front, he says he's still weighing a run for the presidency in 2016 between that and his rumored run for new york governor this year, he is a busy man. okay, so new on msnbc.com, utah couples not giving up marriages without a fight. four same-sex couples married in the state for a short time that it was legal are now suing in those couple's can file joint tax returns. the governor's office put other recognitions the unions on hold. and rob ford at it again. the embattled mayor admitted to drinking a little bit monday night. luckily for us, it was all caught on video. the footage from a steak queen restaurant shows him swearing, mumbling and even speaking a bit with a jamaican accent. but ford didn't think it was offensive at all. >> what i do in my personal life

and my personal friends, that's up to me. this really has nothing to do with you guys. it's my own time and my friend. >> and that is your morning dish of scrambled politics. joining me now from washington for our first look at politics, senior washington kpant anna palmer. let's start with bob mcdonald. they're accused of accepting lavish gifts and loans in exchange for political favor. mcdonald says the gifts were given out of friendship. they were loans and all paid back with interest. does this sound fishy? we're talking at least $50,000 in loans, $20,000 for a shopping spree rg another $15,000 for a daughter's wedding. >> it is definitely fishy. he is facing 14 counts in an indictment. he came out swinging yesterday trying to go on the offensive saying that, you know, president obama has done political favors for his allies as well but

certainly as far as one of the gop's rising stars just a couple years ago this is a real stain in term of any future he'll have in politics. >> talking about rising stars, it seems like every day there is more chris christie news. now former virginia gop candidate says christie should step down from his role as chairman of republican governors association. surprised by these comments, especially coming from the right? >> he is by far kind of the only voice on the right so far who is saying chris christie should step down. certainly the governor has a lot of people come to his defense in the coming days. it's not -- i don't know if it's that surprising. he might be looking for a few fights to keep his name in the news. sbl speaking of someone who wants to keep his name in the news, then there's the donald. mr. trump is piling on saying christie is one e-mail away from disaster. so donald trump is now actually thinking about running for new york governor, maybe running for

the presidency. should we take any of this seriously? >> well, he was up in new hampshire yesterday making a speech. he didn't have any official announcements. you know, the donald always loves to show a little leg when it comes to politics. we'll be watching him the next couple months. we certainly will be making headlines if nothing else. >> exactly. we're talking about him, right? >> exactly. >> thank you, so much. p we appreciate your time this morning. >> coming up, "first buzz." we'll tell you why william and kate are shopping around for a new nanny. has the most coverage? this isn't real difficult... pretty obvious to me. i'm going to have to say verizon. verizon. that's right! the choice is obvious. verizon's superfast 4g lte network is over three times larger than any other 4g lte network. now get one, two, or even three-hundred dollars off a new smartphone depending on the smartphone you trade in on america's largest, most reliable 4g lte network. that's powerful. verizon. now get a free lg g2,

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now here's something that

might blow your mind as we deal with brutally cold temperatures and polar vortices. 2013 is actually tied with 2013 as the fourth warmest year on record. can you believe it? both nasa and noa say nine of the ten warmest years on record have already happened this century. >> you are still bill's funder? >> look, i'm just reporting the facts. i can't help if i got to it before bill did. richard, you have a really interesting scum p tour. >> this guy is an amazing person. so he's very good with his hands. he's very good with wood. he so good as an artist though he was able to carve some amazing things. he's able to carve things that look like a cardboard box. he's able to carve things that look like cash. this is sort of like the time -- >> that's not a real box? >> no, he's taking wood and turns night what looks like a box of cash. pretty good. >> that's incredible. that looks real. i wish it were real. >> goodness, the detail of

getting the -- >> i'll take a box of that anywhere. cold hard cash. >> speaking cash, kate and william are going to pay a pretty penny for a nanny. they're searching for a new nanny. the lady you see right there is mrs. web. she is 71 years old. she was prince william's nanny back in the day. now she's looking over the new baby and actually the duchess and kate middleton and prince william, they're headed to new zealand and australia. they don't think their 71-year-old nanny can take the trip with them. so they're looking for a new one. >> that's great she's still there. >> exactly. >> she feels very comfortable with her. >> there is a repair worker in ree yo who has the coolest job. he is repairing the statue down there in rio. it got struck by lightning four or five days ago. one of the tips of the fingers fell off. they're trying to repair it.

he actually climbed you on top and will is the view. >> i don't know. >> i don't want that job. >> i mean just a gorgeous view. >> yeah, but at least -- he may only have four fingers. >> it does get struck three to four fim a year. >> all right. this is "first look." stay tuned for "way too early." in the northeast, winter storm janice has been a tough one for the weather channel. but not for the usual reasons. some of our eagle eyed viewers alerted me to this. janice is janous which means that al roker needs to careful where he stands. >> you don't want to get caught in the eye of a winter storm anus. >> all right. regard ms of what you call it, the winter storm that crippled d.c. to new england is a real pain in the you noi what shutting down air, rail, and schools. so who got the worst of it? then once arising star,

virginia's former goner and first lady face a laundry list of new corruption charges. can they avoid jail time? blame canada. rob ford caught on camera allegedly drunk singing and using a new accent and, of course, we have it for you. this is "way too early." >> hey, there everybody. good morning. i'm thomas roberts. it is wednesday, january 22nd. welcome to "way too early." this is the show where we prove that ice cream can still melt outside in these freezing temperatures. we'll explain that in the cooler. but now we need to navigate the weather that we have for today. the eastern seaboard digging out this morning after a monster storm that dumped more snow than expected in some parts of the country. the biggest cities just crippled. the nation's capital has seen the most snow in three years. the halls of power on capitol hill were left empty. to wilmington, delaware, it